Fadnavis Rejects Shiv Sena leader’s resignation

Maharashtra Industries Minister Subhash Desai met Maharashtra’s CM Devendra Fadnavis and has offered to resign following the recent turn of events, but the CM has refused to accept it.

This offer of resignation came soon after Fadnavis announced a probe against two cabinet colleagues for alleged corruption, Housing Minister Prakash Mehta and Subhash Desai.

After a sustained opposition onslaught in the legislature against Mehta and Desai, Fadnavis announced a probe into the allegations on Friday.

If sources are to be believed, even Mehta offered his resignation on Friday night but the CM denied it too.

The rejection triggered a strong opposition from the Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant as he said, “It’s a farce, announcing the investigations, getting resignations and then rejecting them. Why is there a different yardstick for (former BJP Minister) Eknath Khadse and others.”

However, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray was quick to defend Desai and said, “Those who are leveling allegations of corruption are themselves deep neck in it. They are not ashamed of their own deeds.”

“The people who are accusing of our ministers disrupted the assembly session on these issues to divert attention from their own misdeeds,” – he added

He demanded a thorough and impartial probe against several opposition leaders accused in various scandals, including “the Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam,” hinting at senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar and others.

Thackeray was witty enough to state that a mere allegation shouldn’t lead to resignation. This sets a bad precedent, which in turn, may dent Maharashtra’s image.